Beyonce Knowles

Tim Heidecker: L.A.'s Driest Wit

One of the fascinating Angelenos featured in L.A. Weekly's People 2013 issue. Check out our entire People 2013 issue here. When Tim Heidecker says his wife is in school studying "criminalistics" to be a "private investigator, in law enforcement," it's hard to know whether to believe him. After all, ... More >>

The Time My Mom Whipped Me While I Was Trying to Impress a Girl

The last time I was spanked by either of my parents -- like, I mean good and spanked -- was in 1996. I was 15. And I will always remember exactly what happened. I was lying on a couch in my bedroom (I asked my parents if I could have a couch for a bed because I was completely obnoxious) talking on ... More >>

The 20 Worst Albums Of The '90s: 20-11

Sure, you had the Bill Clinton blowjob scandal, OJ, Pakistan and India going nuclear, mad cow disease, the Rodney King decision, and Titanic. But what made the '90s truly awful was its music. That's not to say that there weren't bright spots -- early Beck, say, or Ok Computer and much of hip-hop's g ... More >>

Inc.: Employing the Grateful Dead's Business Model

Out today, No World is the first full-length album from the L.A. duo Inc., and not unlike John Henry racing the steam-powered hammer. Brothers Daniel and Andrew Aged, are incredibly proficient at their instruments -- they've worked as session musicians for Beyoncé, Cee-Lo, and Elton John -- and so ... More >>

Our Most Popular Stories of 2012

It was a great year for the L.A. Weekly music section and our West Coast Sound blog. On the print side, we specialized in well-reported profiles, news stories, and essays that helped our readers understand better the music they love. On the blog we churned out compulsively-readable pieces that start ... More >>

DJ Mustard and the Story of Ratchet

[Editor's note: Weekly scribe Jeff Weiss's column, "Bizarre Ride," appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday. His archives are available here.] Hip hop is constantly inventing new slang for getting down and dirty. You could get buck, crunk, and freaky. Wild out or act a fool. This summer was the ... More >>

Aziz Ansari

Dennis Herbert Tillet, 25, Killed in Hyde Park Shooting on Fourth of July

See also: Just 10 minutes and five miles away, 14-year-old Unique Russell likewise fell victim to gunfire amid the celebration. Update: Morehouse College, one of about 100 "historically black colleges and universities" around the country, confirms that Tillet was a graduate. Read the college's full ... More >>

Top 20 Sexiest Female Musicians of All Time: The Complete List

*Top 20 Sexiest Male Musicians of All Time: The Complete List *Top 20 Worst Bands of All Time: The Complete List *Top 20 Musicians of All Time, in Any Genre: The Complete List What we talk about when we talk about sex and rock 'n roll is often dudes, the lusty front men and axe-grinders who, perhap ... More >>

Groupon Cat: Who Is This Furball and What Is He Talking About?

During the obligatory morning check of my inbox to see which spa was offering a Groupon for a colon cleanse and infrared therapy (what?), I noticed a smug cat atop a stratocumulus cloud giving me the evil eye from underneath the participating spa's details. I scrolled down to see that he was spoutin ... More >>

Moguai: Deadmau5's Associate Leads a Big Beat Comeback

Veteran DJ Moguai was born Andre Tegeler; he's been playing parties and putting out music since the mid-'90s. Jams like "U Know Why" (2002) picked up on the Big Beat sound popularized by artists like Fatboy Slim, while 2007's "Freaks" is a guitar-inflected electro track. He's even got his own label, ... More >>

Santa Ana Winds Usher in L.A. Fire Season

The winds are upon us.​It may feel cooler and more wintery outside (OK, still in the upper 60s and 70s; sorry Denver), but don't be fooled: What has the potential to be SoCal's worst fire season ever is only just now settling in. We had a few scares back in the beginning of September -- inclu ... More >>

Mikey Welsh Is Dead: How Weezer's Green Album Changed My Life

Fuck Guilty Pleasures celebrates the over-produced, commercial, artless, lowbrow music that we believe is genuinely worthwhile. Like, among the best music ever. Editor's Note: Former Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh was found dead in a Chicago hotel room on October 8, 2011. The cause of death is unknown, ... More >>

Top Five Greatest Rap Hook Singers

Frank Ocean​Last week we were supposed to get the major label release of Odd Future cohort Frank Ocean's debut project, nostalgia, ULTRA, previously a mixtape. Unfortunately, the suits at Def Jam have apparently stricken it from the upcoming-release schedule, with Ocean reacting by releasing t ... More >>

Miles Morales: Spider-Man's PC New Replacement Is Half-Black, Half-Latino

MarvelMiles Morales​Apparently, half-human, half-spider wasn't diverse/culturally cutting-edge enough for Marvel Comics' most revered superhero. Sorry, Peter Parker: In its "Ultimate" line of Spider-Man adventures, Marvel is looking to do like Beyonce and "Upgrade U" (or, more accurately, ki ... More >>

LinA In LA: Dance Club, DJ and Party Picks For The Holiday Weekend

Josh "Curious Josh" Reiss, from last year.Labyrinth of Jareth​Independence day on the horizon makes for an explosive week in Los Angeles. From decadent dress-up to Dolly love to mash-up mayhem to tranny fanny shaking and more, you don't need Piccolo Petes or Cherry Bombs to get loud and cracki ... More >>

Food Party Hostess Thu Tran at Everything Is Festival Tomorrow

Food Party​Tomorrow kicks off five days of found footage feting known as the Everything is Festival at Cinefamily. It's a celebration of diggers, curators, and collectors as much as the weird, funny, campy, boogerfaced footage they unearth. Along with Joe Dante's four-hour legend The Movie Org ... More >>

Steve Valentine and Robbie Tristan: Dancing Queens

Statue of Liberty on U.S. Postage Stamp Is Actually Newer, Hotter Vegas Version From 'New York-New York'

​​Everything's sexier in Vegas! Even New York's world-famous Statue of Liberty, apparently. Her likeness stands over the Las Vegas strip, torch raised...

Susan Boyle Is Far More Influential Than Julian Assange in Time's Popularity Contest

​ Yes, folks, it's about that time. What time, you ask? Time for Time's 2011 Top 100 Poll, wherein readers like you vote for the most influential leaders, artists, innovators, icons and heroes in the world. With voting closing on Thursday, we took a look to see who is in the running. Sadly, K ... More >>

Top 10 Hollywood Couples You'd Like To See Do Sex Tapes

Mr. & Mrs. Smith​Now that the holidays are over and your warm-and-fuzzy feelings for family and friends have given way to a massive, week-long hangover, we've got just the tidbit to brighten your day. That's right, we've got porn news to kick off 2011 right. Steven Hirsch, honcho at the world ... More >>

TSA Scanner 'Opt Out' Day Has Trouble Getting Off The Ground At LAX

Earth Hope NetworkInternet rebels get cold feet in the face of the big bad TSA​All major news sources this morning are clawing at whatever mangled corpse is left of the TSA hype. Today was supposed to be national opt-out day -- and still could be, of course, once the straight-laced early-morni ... More >>

Top 10 Popstar Clothing Lines that Put Madonna and Lourdes' New "Material Girl" to Shame!

In this week's Nightranger column, we cover last week's Macy's Passport "Glamorama" event at the Orpheum Theatre downtown. The event was scaled back from years past live music-wise (Macy Gray and Eric Hutchinson performed short sets in between the runway looks) but the production was still top-notch ... More >>

L.A. Times badly muffs its coverage of Villaraigosa free ticket scandal

Wow, Los Angeles Times digger Phil Willon got hammered coming and going in his effort to expose the scandal in which Antonio Villaraigosa has failed to report what could amount to tens of thousands of dollars in freebies so he could attend sport, concert and awards events. First, the inimitable John ... More >>

Nightranger: Supermassive Black Hell

Five Ways Organizers Can Make Coachella A Better Experience

Dennis Romero​Following reports of three-hour waits to get in, a bizarre appearance by Sly Stone and a dirt-lot parking situation that had festival-goers walking for up to an hour in desert dust to get to their cars, the Los Angeles Times declared the 11th annual Coachella festival a rousing s ... More >>

Nightranger's Coachella Check-list: Desert Dos and Don'ts

Ready and rarin' to go for Coachella? If you packed days ago, drove up Wednesday or Thursday morning and didn't over do it at the parties last night, then you probably are. Goodie for you. But those of us preparing to battle Friday traffic in hopes of getting there before sunset tonight, well, we mi ... More >>

Five Reasons Why Karin Dreijer Andersson Is Our Pop Diva

You can take Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and any other Grammy-approved lady you wish, but Karin Dreijer Andersson is our pop diva. The mastermind behind Fever Ray and one-half of The Knife, Andersson is unafraid of going against convention, but her experimental nature never comes at the expense ... More >>

The Grammy Awards, As Seen from the Staples Center Press Room

Last year we came down pretty hard on the numbskulls journalists in the press room at the Grammys, but would like to officially recant last year's unfair judgment. Specifically, for the record, this is what we said about what awaits the lucky Grammy winners backstage: ...their audience, a bunch of ... More >>

Mega-Telethon Broadcasting From L.A., Elsewhere

CNNAnderson Cooper.​A Friday telethon to raise money for the victims of last week's earthquake in Haiti will be broadcast from Los Angeles, New York, London and Haiti, organizers announced Thursday. It will be everywhere: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, CMT, PBS, TNT, Show ... More >>

Top 10 Dance Albums: Club-land Crossover

In 2009, the mainstream flocked to dance-floor grooves

Best of L.A.: Nightlife

Video Premiere: Tom Brosseau Wanders Through Downtown LA in "You Don't Know My Friends"

There have been days this summer when our desire to listen to Tom Brosseau's new Posthumous Success has approached craving. Driving through Hollywood, we've rummaged through the piles of discs on the floorboard like a smoker digging for half-smoked butt. But then, usually it's not a problem if it's ... More >>

Pork in the Time of Swine Flu: Mexico City's Pig Cuisine, Snout to Hoof

Highland Park's Antojitos Chilangos and Metro Balderas

I MOP LA

Beige Beef Breeds New Rusty's Supperclub, and Lucent Dossier Experience at the Edison

N.A.S.A. lands at Cinespace for Aoki's bash

Behind the Velvet Fence

Prince of the desert; VIP couch; and other tales from Coachella

It's A Wrap- LA Fashion Week Trend Report

Another LA Fashion week has ended and now that we’ve recovered –from the clothing cacophony and that nasty cold that’s been going around- it’s time to survey the overall style statements. Yes, there actually were some, and not surprisingly, many came from the crowds not the runway (remember ... More >>

Ill-Thought Out Observations From This Year's Grammy's

Because Live Blogging is so gauche. Occasionally the Grammy Committee's old fogey sensibility yields huge dividends. See the inclusion of Morris Day and the motherfucking Time. As far as I know, only two people have paid much attention to Morris Day and the Time post "Jerk Out:" the illustrious ... More >>

Rock Picks: Stevie Wonder, Lucinda Williams, The Frames

For the week of Aug 31 – Sept. 6

Joss Stone: Fifth Dreamgirl?

Diana Ross: O.G. Diva Sings the Blues

A long-lost ’71 jazz album smashes imitators, from Madonna to Beyoncé

5 Questions with Donna Summer

Before Bling

Hip-hop’s storied past

’Toon Town

Triple Luxe

An Anthem Reclaimed

The Real Black Realness